Travel Tips & Stories
Your New Favourite Bartender – Marcel Augey

Your New Favourite Bartender – Marcel Augey

Prairies to Badlands: Locally Grown Stories
Stories Rooted in Community & Event Partnership

Location: Drumheller, Alberta | Logged by: The Gallivanting Gals

The thing about Marcel is this: he doesn’t just make you a drink, he makes you feel like you’re part of something.

Born and raised in Drumheller, Marcel grew up surrounded by music, family, and Scotch (in that order, though the Scotch didn’t take long to catch up). He’ll tell you about playing tunes with his uncles, learning how to savour—not slam—what was in his glass. Somewhere along the line, he stumbled into a cocktail bar, ordered a Negroni, and thought, oh yeah, this is it. That first sip sealed the deal. Bartending wasn’t just a gig anymore—it was the lane he wanted to run in.

Now he’s the head bartender and assistant distiller at Drum Distilling, and if you’ve ever had one of his drinks, you know. He’s engaging. Spontaneous. A total stickler for detail, but in a way that feels fun, not fussy. Every drink has a little “Marcel touch”—a detail you might not even notice, but you’ll absolutely feel.

Ask Marcel to describe his cocktail style and he’ll talk about music: “60s and 70s R&B. Heavy basslines, smooth vocals, and a Hammond organ humming in the back.” You can almost hear it when he stirs or shakes—each cocktail is its own little song.

And yes, he has opinions. Maraschino cherries? Overrated. Mint? The more the merrier—he’ll pile it into your glass like a tiny bouquet. Shaken drinks are for froth and citrus; stirred drinks are for chill and patience. And if he’s mixing for friends? He starts with a French 75. Always.

For the Prairies to Badlands Dinner Series, Marcel starts with the food. What’s being served? How will the flavours play? He wants the cocktails to connect, not compete. Local ingredients are non-negotiable. Which means you might catch DNA Gardens’ fruit liqueurs, High Seas Coffee, or even a Siplicious tea twist sneaking their way into his pours.

He won’t give away his big showstopper just yet, but let’s just say: expect bold. Expect playful. Expect something you’ll still be talking about at breakfast the next day.

Marcel’s talent isn’t just what’s in the glass—it’s what happens around it.

When my dad visits Drumheller, one of the highlights is pulling up a stool across from Marcel. They’ll dive deep into the world of tonic water, dissect new flavour trends, or Dad will chat to him about the rhubarb gin from the Orkney Gin Company in Scotland (fun fact: my cousin runs it—gin really is in my veins). They can talk for hours (as long as time permits), and you get the sense that those conversations are just as much a part of the experience as the cocktails themselves.

And honestly, that’s what I love most. Cocktails in my family are about connection. My siblings and I even have matching Old Fashioned tattoos on our elbows—so no matter where we are, we can always “cheers.” That’s the spirit Marcel captures behind the bar. Every drink he pours feels like a toast to something bigger.

Guests walk away from Drum Distilling with stories: the best spritz they’ve ever had, an espresso martini that knocked them sideways (Marcel likes his with mezcal in it), or simply the memory of being genuinely seen across the bar. And that’s why he’s the perfect partner for this dinner series. Just like the food, the gardens, and the inns, Marcel’s cocktails are rooted in place and people. They’re about slowing down, sharing stories, and raising a glass to what makes this region so special.

So here’s to Marcel: gin in his veins, music in his soul, and a knack for making every drink feel like it belongs to the moment.

Rapid-Fire With Marcel

  • Neat, rocks, or highball? Neat
  • Citrus: lemon or lime? Lemon
  • First round I make my friends: French 75
  • Last great drink not by me: My wife Jillian’s classic gin and tonic
  • End-of-shift pour: Whatever got mis-poured…or a hard iced tea

Here’s to good gin, good gossip, and gallivanting wherever the next glass takes us.

The Gallivanting Gals

About Marcel

Marcel Augey is the lead bartender and assistant distiller at Drum Distilling in Drumheller, Alberta. Known for his engaging style, spontaneous flair, and deep love of flavour, Marcel brings small-town warmth and world-class craft to every glass. Follow him at @whiskyinthebadlands

About Drum Distilling

Drum Distilling Co. crafts spirits of place—from gins and vodka to spiked sodas—distilled four miles west of the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Their mission? To bottle the stories of Drumheller: the miners, bootleggers, pioneers, community and courage that built this valley. Their family-friendly tasting room serves cocktails, flights, mocktails, canned cocktails, Valley Brewing beer, and Drum Soda Works pops (their playful soda line inspired by the dinosaur legacy)